


paradise

by trulyjaem (orphan_account)



Series: under pink skies [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Soft Boys, Sort Of, brief mentions of lany and lauv, just an excuse to write markhyuck, mark calls donghyuck baby, mark just wants to make donghyuck feel better, secret relationship sort of, taeyong apologizes tho dw, taeyong hurts donghyuck's feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-12 00:44:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15327993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/trulyjaem
Summary: in the confines of donghyuck's dorm room, hearts beat in a single rhythm, hands find each other, and lips bruise red.alternatively, donghyuck has a bad day and mark does everything to make him feel better.





	paradise

**Author's Note:**

> hi. this is my first fic ive ever posted (unless aus count? oof) and i'm kind of scared of how people will receive this aaaa. 
> 
> this is basically an excuse to write markhyuck being soft uwu please tell me what you think but dont be mean!! thank you :D
> 
> i got this idea when i imagined them slow dancing to paradise hence the title so yeah uwu  
>  
> 
> enjoy!!

"Donghyuck! You're three seconds late to the next formation," Taeyong barks against the song, volume dwindling until it comes to a full stop.

In the mirror, Mark catches the way the youngest flinches, eyes going downcast. A frown tugs at Mark's lips when he sees Donghyuck curling into himself as Taeyong marches towards him, displeasure glinting in squinted eyes. An ache pulsates throughout his whole being, and Mark wants nothing more than to run to the cowering boy and shield him away from their leader's wrath but despite the urge, he remains firm, digging his feet into the ground as he looks on.

For someone who's known for skinship and open affection, Donghyuck was adamant that they keep their relationship on the down low; keeping interactions to a minimum—only ever exchanging words of insult here and there, their usual banter but nothing more. It's weird if you think about it, but Donghyuck had said that it was for the best and Mark had agreed— _of course he would_ —but that didn't mean he was keen about it. Truthfully, he wants nothing more than to hug the other boy whenever he can, kiss him on the cheek when he sees him feeling down, and hold onto his hand like how they usually do in the safety of Donghyuck's dorm room but the logical part of him knows that it was indeed for the best lest they want the company to find out and give them the power to play god and end the best thing Mark has—frankly, he doesn't want that.

Taeyong's sharp voice filters through Mark's thoughts forcing the latter to pay attention to what was happening. He watches as Donghyuck's face crumples in shame, his fingers twisting and pulling on the sleeves of the plaid shirt that suspiciously looks like the one Mark owns. The younger nods, an apology leaving his lips. With a steely expression, Taeyong bobs his head curtly before turning around to herd everyone back into position.

Dispondent eyes find Mark's on the reflection, the latter smiles encouragingly, the only form of comfort he could offer the younger boy. Donghyuck quirks a small one back and that was enough to temporarily quell the worry brewing in Mark's heart.

—

Donghyuck didn't think it was possible but he messes up more after the confrontation with Taeyong; he bumps into Johnny while running to his next position, almost drops Mark when his grip on the other boy was loose, starts on the wrong beat, and hits Jaehyun in the face. To say Taeyong was disappointed was an understatement and Donghyuck couldn't help the frustration encompassing his entire person.

Practices end sooner than usual and Donghyuck _knows_ it was because of him. He avoids eye contact with the other members, afraid of the contempt he might see in their eyes, as he makes a mad dash to collect his belongings from the other side of the room and leaves without sparing anyone—even Mark—a glance.

As if pissing off his members wasn't enough, the world decides to add insult to injury by issuing a torrential downpour just as Donghyuck reaches the streets.

 _Great_. _Just great._ He muses bitterly, a scowl scrunching his face.

Tightening his grip on his bag, he trudges through the rain which immediately soaks him from head to toe. In less than five minutes, strands of his once bright red now maroon hair plaster themselves to his forehead, and raindrops catch on his eyelashes before sliding down his face.

Donghyuck isn't sure if it was actually raindrops or the frustrated tears he had been trying to keep at bay that were dripping down his cheeks, but that's fine—it could be a secret between him and the sky.

He reaches the dorms three blocks later, teeth chattering from the cold. With the spare key in his bag, he opens the door and immediately runs to his shared room, leaving a trail of puddles behind him. He drops his bag haphazardly on the floor, grabbing his towel and locking himself in the bathroom across him. Peeling off his clothes, he steps into the shower, letting the warm water wash away the dirt and grime from practices as the fatigue begins settling deep in his bones.

He sighs dejectedly.

—

"Hyung, weren't you a bit too hard on Hyuck today?" Mark frowns, toeing off his shoes, his worry coming back tenfold.

The other members went out to grab dinner with the exception of Taeyong who declined the invitation and had said he was 'dead on his feet' and Mark, of course, had declined as well, insisting that he goes back with Taeyong because he too was tired, and, well, he wanted to check on Donghyuck.

But they don't need to know that.

Taeyong opens his mouth to reply but the words die on his tongue when his eye catches the wet footprints on the floor. Mark notices the lack of reply and lifts his gaze to see what had caused the silence.

"Did—Did Hyuck get caught in the rain?" Taeyong mutters more to himself than anything, his lips jutting out in worry, eyebrows furrowing.

Mark's frown deepens and he makes a move towards Donghyuck's room but a hand on his wrist stops him. He faces Taeyong, a look of guilt blanketing the leader's features.

"Yes, hyung?" He asks, tone forcibly calm.

Taeyong gulps. "I'll cook dinner for you two."

There is an underlying apology in his words and Mark supposes that's enough to subdue his anger at the older. He nods meekly, pulling his wrist from the hold and walking away with a sense of urgency.

Gently, he knocks on the door before turning the knob and poking his head in. The room was dark save for the light coming from the small lamp on Donghyuck and Jaehyun's shared desk. He steps quietly into the room, locking the door behind him as he does so. He kneels beside Donghyuck's bed, hand coming up to card through the younger's hair—the only part of him poking out from the blankets.

"Hyuck?" Mark whispers. The lump under the covers shifts.

"Leave me alone." Donghyuck turns away from Mark, words getting muffled. "I'm not in a good mood and I don't want to get mad at you. So, please just leave me alone."

At that, Mark frowns. He stands from his kneeling position, pausing to stare at the unmoving ball that was Donghyuck long enough that he was certainly leaving marks on the younger's skin with his eyes alone. Sighing, he ruffles Donghyuck's hair once more before turning around and leaving the room in silence.

Of course Mark's not just going to leave Donghyuck alone—not when he's obviously feeling down in the dumps. No, Mark has a plan and he's going to make sure Donghyuck doesn't sleep with a heavy heart tonight.

—

It's about an hour or so before Mark, in all his freshly showered glory, pads back into Donghyuck's room, a tray of warm kimchi jjigae and bungeo-ppang that Taeyong bought from across the street—an apology, the leader had said—in his hands and his portable speaker hanging by one pinky. He puts down the tray and the speaker on the desk where the lamp was placed and sits on the bed, watching the way Donghyuck tenses up slightly before relaxing and moving over to give Mark more space. The latter smiles at that. He pulls the covers, and slips beside the curled ball. Without hesitation, he wraps a gentle arm around Donghyuck's waist and pulls him closer, limbs tangling as the latter relaxes into the hold. Mark presses a chaste kiss to the juncture where Donghyuck's neck and shoulder meet as he rubs comforting circles to the soft skin of Donghyuck's abdomen. The latter sighs at the touch.

"Baby," Mark starts softly, nudging the younger's cheek with his nose as he leaves another chaste kiss, this time on the underside of his jaw. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Donghyuck twists in Mark's hold, arm coming up to grip the back of the older's shirt tightly as he rests his forehead on his shoulder. He shakes his head minutely to which Mark replies with a peck on the crown of his head. Mark's arms maneuver Donghyuck in a way that has him practically lying on top of him.

They lay there under the covers, basking in each other's warmth, Mark's presence enough to soothe the younger boy.

A silence falls over them—only the steady beating of their hearts countering the lull in the room. Their legs tangle as Donghyuck shifts to rest his chin on Mark's sternum, half-lidded eyes connecting with the latter's. Tilting his head up, Donghyuck presses their lips together sweetly once... twice... five times before pulling back, quirking a soft smile at Mark. The moonlight filtering through the blinds catches on the high planes of Donghyuck's face and Mark feels his chest constricting. There's an air of softness surrounding the younger, a fragility that he's only ever shown to Mark—something Mark has learnt to cherish, in the way he stares at the older, the way he balls a fist over Mark's rapidly beating heart, the way his disheveled hair frames his soft features, and the way he leans into Mark's touch when he cups his cheek. It tugs at his heartstrings and Mark wastes no time to capture Donghyuck's lips in a kiss he hopes conveys his feelings for him.

"Taeyong hyung made dinner for us," Mark mumbles against Donghyuck's lip before pressing them together again. Donghyuck hums in acknowledgment, reaching down to entwine their hands.

With one last lingering kiss, Donghyuck pulls them up into a sitting position, head resting on the crook of Mark's neck for a few moments before Mark tugs Donghyuck to sit on the floor. He places the tray in between them, eyes moving up to see the younger perking at the sight of the bungeo-ppang. A fond smile curls his lips as he switches on the portable speaker. The sweet sound of Lauv fills the air, and upon hearing it, the younger smiles.

With the chopsticks in his hand, Mark takes it upon himself to feed Donghyuck. The latter snorts, shaking his head in quick sharp successions and turning away.

"Come on, Hyuck. Let me feed you."

"No, hyung." Donghyuck huffs, crossing his arms. Mark scoots forward, a piece of meat clutched between the chopsticks.

"Baby, please." The endearment makes Donghyuck falter, color rising to his cheeks but he catches himself, and steels his resolve. "Hyung, I can feed myself."

Donghyuck is met with silence.

Slowly, he turns around, a reply about to leave him when his lips are sealed. It was chaste, quick but it was enough for Donghyuck to chase after him for another kiss. Leaning back, Mark smirks as he shakes his head. "Let me feed you then you get a kiss."

Donghyuck pouts, hoping that Mark would back down but the latter only raises an eyebrow and so, Donghyuck relents. Mark leans in to peck his lips again, a satisfied smile etched on his face.

Dinner was a blur of Mark alternating between feeding himself and feeding Donghyuck, of exchanging insults from Donghyuck's end, compliments from Mark's, and kisses between both.

Donghyuck ended up being blushing mess to say the least.

Soon, Mark finds himself laying down with his head pillowed by Donghyuck's thighs as the latter leans on the bed, fingers running mindlessly through Mark's brown locks. Scanning the room lazily, Mark's eyes rest on the lamp that had been their only source of light since he came in almost three hours ago.

It was the lamp that he got for Donghyuck on his seventeenth birthday.

It was a small thing, really; a crystal sphere that had a miniature solar system inside it. The small glass globes were held in place by metallic rings, which acted as the orbit for each charm, and rotated around the glass sun once plugged on.

The first time Mark saw it on the shelf of a trinkets store hidden amongst the streets of Seoul, it had reminded him of the younger boy; of hushed conversations about space and aliens with Donghyuck at the crack of dawn, of Donghyuck looking up at the skies with childlike wonder—something that has remained unchanged through the years, of Donghyuck sneaking into Mark's bed to tell him about an alien theory he read somewhere earlier that day. It had reminded Mark of the nights they snuck out of the dorms just to watch a meteor shower or to go against their strict diet and grab a late night dinner with the night sky as their backdrop. It reminded him of the first time he kissed Donghyuck, and at that, Mark knew it was the perfect present. It was a small thing, really, but Mark knew that Donghyuck would love it.

A soft smile quirks his lips, one that catches Donghyuck's attention.

"What are you thinking about?" He mumbles, head tilting to get a closer look at the older's face. Mark cradles the back of Donghyuck's head and kisses him languidly—delicately.

"Just you," Mark whispers, pulling away and lacing their hands together.

There's a stillness that fills the space as the last notes of whatever song that was playing melts into nothingness. It was a mere few seconds before the next song begins to play but it felt like an eternity as Mark stares into Donghyuck's eyes, the hand that wasn't locked with Donghyuck's reaches up to brush away the strands getting into the younger's eyes.

Then, Lany plays.

The familiar beat of 'pink skies' pulls them from their reverie. Donghyuck lights up when he finally registers the tune. He shakes their hands and sends Mark the widest smile he's seen all day.

"Dance with me." is all Donghyuck says before wriggling his legs free from under Mark's weight. The older laughs but allows himself to be pulled up. He stumbles which elicits a laugh from the younger as he wraps his arms around Mark's torso to stabilize him.

Detangling his arms, Donghyuck reaches for Mark's hands, pulling him closer before taking a step back, laughing as he does so. He does it again and this time Mark follows his movements. Mark twirls Donghyuck once, twice, drawing out giggles from him then, he dips him so abruptly that a surprised yelp rips from the latter's throat, cutting off his laughter and then, they're melting; melting into fits of laughter, into themselves, and finally, into each other's warmth.

Their strange rendition of a waltz is exchanged for languid swaying as the song bleeds out into the chorus.

Donghyuck tangles his arms around Mark, head resting on his shoulder while the latter wraps one hand over his shoulders, and the other cradles his head, still swaying to the music.

"Do you feel better now?" Mark rasps just above the song. He feels the arms around him tighten as the younger boy nods meekly.

"Yeah," He whispers. "Thank you, hyung. Even though I told you to leave me alone." Mark can almost hear the pout in his tone and that pulls a low laugh out of him. "I can't have you going to bed feeling like crap, you know. What kind of boyfriend would I be?"

Donghyuck laughs at that, turning his head the slightest bit to peck Mark on the neck.  "But really, Mark. Thank you," He says softly and even softer he adds, "I love you."

"I love you too." Mark smiles, pulling Donghyuck even closer. Their bodies molding into each other that you can't tell where one ends and the other begins, still swaying in synch as the song nears its end.

—

Coming home from dinner, Jaehyun turns the knob to his room, laughter still spilling from his lips at something Johnny had said. He pushes the door open but stops short when his ears catch the familiar vocals of Paul Klein. Cautiously peering into the room, he sees two figures illuminated by nothing but the lamp and tendrils of moonlight peaking from the blinds swaying lazily to the tune.

"I love you too." A voice that sounds exactly like Mark says, words muffled by the song.

Jaehyun watches as the shorter of the two—Donghyuck, he realizes—is pulled closer. Eyes wide, Jaehyun gulps and steps back, shutting the door quietly.

He _knows_ he saw something he definitely shouldn't have and the thought that he had intruded in something so intimate made his heart clench uncomfortably.

He turns around, walking back to the living room. "Hey, Taeyong hyung! Can I sleep in your room tonight?"

—

The next day at practice, Mark doesn't let go of Donghyuck's hand. At first, he thought the younger would wrench his hand away like usual but perhaps, the nerves he felt at the thought of seeing the hyungs again after the incident yesterday clouded his better judgment. Mark doesn't mind, though.

In fact, he basks at the feeling of Donghyuck's hand in his in a place where anyone can see them.

God knows when that will ever happen again.

In the corner of his eyes, he sees Taeyong approaching them, guilt marring his features. At that, Donghyuck instinctively hides behind Mark. Taeyong sees the movement and Mark watches as his face crumples even further.

"Donghyuck," Taeyong begins. Donghyuck peers his head from behind Mark, and nods, acknowledging Taeyong.

"I'm really, really sorry for being so strict with you yesterday. I should've asked you what was wrong instead of blatantly yelling at you. It was a mistake and I feel horrible for even thinking of doing that to you."

A stilted silence engulfs them, making Taeyong fidget and seem smaller than he actually is.

Mark looks over his shoulder to see Donghyuck chewing on his lips contemplatively. Catching the younger's attention with his stare, Mark nudges his head surreptitiously towards their leader. Donghyuck swallows.

"Hyung," He calls out. Taeyong snaps his gaze up from where it was focused on his shoes to the youngest in their group. "I forgive you." Donghyuck smiles gently.

"Really?" Taeyong stares wide-eyed.

"Of course, hyung. I was hurt, yes, but you were stressed too and I should understand that as well." A cry of relief tears from Taeyong and Donghyuck is pulled into a bone-crushing hug.

Mark catches his gaze and sends a thumbs up as he watches them with a fond smile. Donghyuck responds with a thumbs up of his own to which Mark replies with a chuckle.

In his periphery, he sees eyes staring at him. The laughter dies from his lips as his attention is diverted from the two hugging males. He turns to face the person.

Jaehyun.

Mark tilts his head in question as the older beckons him over, eyes flitting from Donghyuck to Mark then to everywhere else.

"Yes, hyung?" Mark asks, sidling up to him.

Jaehyun is silent as he fiddles with the cuff of his sweater.

Then, "Are you and Donghyuck together?"

Mark feels the color drain from his face.

**Author's Note:**

> hello, thank u for reading this. my writing is not the best ik but i hope that u would support my future works despite that :D i look forward to writing for u all
> 
> follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/yesjaem) if u want to, i cry about jaemin a lot


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